Tuning device for wind musical instruments



. A. J. SINCLAIR. TUNING DEVICE FOR WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS,

APPLICATION FIL'ED APR.3,1920.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

INVENTOR.

,4. d J/NcL ma 3 Zeu- M-i ATTURNEY ALFRED J. SINCLAIR, OF DAYTON, OHIG.

TUNING DEVICE FOR WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. *7, 1920.

Application filed April 3, 1920. Serial No. 371,087.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Armani) J. SINCLAIR, a citizen of the Unitedv States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tuning Devices I01 Vind Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to tuning devices for musical instruments and is designed more particularly for use with Saxophones, and, instruments of a similar character.

The object of the invention is to provide a tuning device which may be quickly and easily adjusted. and which will be held firmly in its adjusted position.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a tuning device with means for positively locking the mouth piece and the tuning slide in their adjusted positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device which will be very simple in its construction and operation and which will be of a neat, compact construction and will not detract from the appearance of the instrument.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the device is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the end or": a saxophone showing the invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken centrally through the device of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the tuning device with the clamping nut removed therefrom.

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention and have shown the same as applied. to a saxophone, but it will be understood that this particular embodiment has been chosen for the purpose of illustration only and that the device,

either with or without modification, may be applied to instruments of various kinds.

In that form of the invention here shown the tuning device forms a part of the mouth piece and together therewith constitutes a single unitary structure which can be manufactured and sold as a unit for application to any standard instrument of the type for which the device is designed. In this construction the mouth piece 1 corresponds substantially in shape to the standard saxophone mouth piece but its inner end is shaped to receive a tuning slide 2, instead of to receivethe instrument end as is customary. The tuning slide is mounted for longitudinal adjustment in the mouth piece and has its outer end portion reduced in thickness to form a shoulder 3 which cooperates with corresponding shoulder in the mouth piece to limit the inward movement of the mouth piece relatively thereto. The tuning slide, or tube, 2 is normally fixed with relation to the instrument, and has no movement relatively thereto during the tuning of the instrument. In the present construction the tuning slide is a part separate from the instrument and has its bore shaped to receive the instrument end a and to this end is slightly tapered to correspond to the tapered shape of the instrument end. The connection between the tuning slide and the instrument end is such that these parts will be held firmly together and will have no relative movement during tuning or use of the instrument. When it is desired to tune the instrument the mouth piece is adjusted longitudinally of the tuning slide 2 until the desired pitch is obtained. In order to hold the parts firmly in their adjusted positions I have provided means for locking the mouth piece in its adjusted positions on the tuning slide. For this purpose the inner end portion of the mouth piece is resilient and is adapted to be clamped tightly about the tun inc; slide. Preferably the mouth piece as a whole is made of metal and the inner end thereof, as shown at 5, is reduced in thickness and is preferably slotted so that it can be pressed inwardly into firm contact with the tuning slide. In the present construction, I have formed in the resilient end of the mouth piece a series of longitudinal slots, 6, spaced substantially equal distances apart about the circumference of the end of the mouth piece. Any suitable clamping device may be employed for compressing the resilient end portion of the mouth piece into clamping engagement with the tuning slide, but in the present construction I have shown the slotted resilient end of the mouth piece as slightly tapered and as provided on its exterior surface with screw threads, and have mounted on this screw threaded end a clamping nut 7 which has its exterior surface knurled to facilitate its operation. It will be apparent, therefore, that when this nut is screwed onto the tapered resilient end of the mouth piece the latter will be pressed into firm clamping engagement with the tuning slide and that the mouth piece will be rigidly held against movement relatively thereto, thus not only preventing any sliding of the mouth piece on the tuning slide, which would affect the pitch of the instrument, but also preventing the same from having a rotatory movement relatively to the instrument when the latter is in use, such as not infrequently happens with tuning devices of other kinds, and which is highly objectionable to the musician. It will be apparent that the device is exceedingly simple in its construction and operation and that it can be produced at a relatively low cost. Further, it will be apparent that the mouth piece and tuning slide may be manufactured and sold as a unit and that it can be applied to any instrument of the type for which it is designed; or that the tuning slide, or tube, may be permanently attached to the end of the instrument, and made a part thereof, and the mouth piece applied thereto as above described.

\Vhile I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a tuning device for Saxophones and the like, a mouth piece, a tuning slide adj ustably mounted in said mouth piece, and

means for securing said mouth piece and said tuning slide in relatively adjusted positions.

2. In a tuning device for saxophones and the like, a mouth piece, a tuning slide adjustably mounted in said mouth piece, and a clamping device for securing said mouth piece and said tuning slide in relatively adj usted positions.

3. In a tuning device for saxophones and the like, a mouth piece having a split inner end portion, a tuning slide adjustably mounted in said inner end portion of said mouth piece, and means for compressing said split inner end portion of said mouth piece on said tuning slide.

4:. In a tuning device for saxophones and the like, a mouth piece having a resilient inner end portion, a tuning slide adjustably mounted in said mouth piece and having its bore adapted to receive an instrument end,

and a clamping device mounted on the re silient end of said mouth piece to compress the same into clamping engagement with said tuning slide.

5. In a tuning device for Saxophones and the like, the combination with an instrument end, a tube mounted thereon and held normally against movement relatively thereto, a mouth piece adjustably mounted on said tube, and means for securing said mouth piece in adjusted positions relatively to said tube.

In testimony whereof, I ailix my signature hereto.

ALFRED J. SINCLAIR. 

